Floating crane.



" No. 868,898. PA

A. BODB & K. BUTTOHER. FLOATING CRANE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27, 1907.

TENTED AUG. 20, 1907;

2 SHEETS-SHBET 1;

1/1/12 0,3,5 6;: J/wv/z/ans:

No. 863,898. I PATENTED AUG. 20, 1907.

- A. BODE & K. BUTTGHBR.

FLOATING CRANE. APFLIOATION FILED mm; 21, 1901.

2 SHYEETS-SHEET 2.

, tor of rotation of the crane has always been in the middle ALFRED uonr. .\xn nun. no'rrcnnn, or nsxriarnjaiixi nussiciilonr;incur/mar.

' FLOATING CRANE.

Application filed June 27, 190'7.- Serial No- 381,147.

" '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALFRED 135m; and KsnLBti'r'rtion.

cur-1R, subjects of the German Emperor, and residents of Benrath, near Dusseldorf, in the Province of the Rhine, German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Floating Cranes, of which the following is an exact specification. I In order to avoid the clumsiness oi the old types of floating cranes they have recently been constructed as rotary tower cranes, rotary cranes with jibs adapted to be drawn in, and so forth. In these cranes the cenoi the pontoon;

The chief object of the present invention is to keep the pontoon for rotary floating cranes as small as possible and the crane'itself as light as possible. The solution of the problem is based upon the known fact that, with a rectangular pontoon, on displacing the crane laterally,

" a certain inclination takes place sooner than when the crane or its center of gravity is displaced longitudinally. In addition to this very different kinds of work have to be performed by means of floating cranes. Thus,

for example it it is a question of removing heavy goods from lighters the grab hook has not to extend more than 3 to 4 meters at the most beyond the outer edge of the pontoon, while inthe' case of large steamers it must reach as much .as 18 meters from'the'pont'oon edge. When the grab-hook is working at such a dis-v tance from the edge of the pontoon large loads areof course only moved when the jib lies longitudinally of the crane, and if this latter is arranged centrally on the pontoon the total projection or overhang is so great that the crane must be made exceedingly heavy and the pontoon must consequently be made large and heavy also. This is obviated in accordance with the prcsentinvo'ntion by displacing the crane from the rniddle of thepontoon approximately to such an extent that its distance from one of the ends of the pontoon is equal to thedistancc from the sides. This enables a considerable reduction of the weight of the crane,- and consequently oi the size and weight of the to be effected.

In order that our said invention may be clearly understood we will describe the same morafiully with referonce to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a floating crane constructed in, accordance with' our invention, and Fig. 2

is a plan of same. Figs. 3 and tare respectively an pontoon,

Specif cation of Letters Patent.

on the frame of the crane.

counterweight g and a vessel s against which the end Patented Aug. 20, 1907'.

elevation and a plan illustrating a 1110(llll0ll construc- The float or pontoon p is rectangular in plan. The rotatable crane frame I: is carried by a fixed pillar which is located out of the center of the pontoon in such a way that it is equally distant from three 01' the edges. A jib capable of swinging in a vertical plane is arranged The drawing also shows a of the pontoon is placed, while on one side of the pontoon a barge or lighter f is shown.

Now assuming that the pontoon is 23 meters wide and 38 meters long, the lighter 6 meters wide ant" the shipf20 meters wide, and the grab hook has-to extend as inuqhas 17.5 meters beyond the end ol the pontoon,

with the usual arrangement of the crane at the middle of the pontoon. the grcatcst length pi overhang would amount to 19+17.5=36.5 meters. 11, however; in accordance with the novel arrangement the crane is situated only as far irom'thc' end as from the sides, lhat is to say 11.5 meters, the greatest overhang is reduced by 7 .5 meters and is no longer 36.5 but 29 meters.

I The counterweight 9 serves to.compensate the correspondingly greater moments arising in the longitndi- 'nal direction owing to the greater overhang required in that direction; this counterweight ma be constitilted by water or other convenient materi. while for the relatively small overhang in the transverse direction of the pontoon a counterweight will be unnecessary. The counterweight g is preferably arranged at suclia distance from themiddle of the pontoon that the crane has the same inclination when loaded to its fullest extent and with the maximum distance between the grab hook and the axis oi rotation as when unloaded and with its jib drawn in.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. S'and 4, the counterweight consists of a block of concrete. masonry or other appropriate material cxtcnding to the surface of the pontoon and constituting a portion of it; it thus constitutes aplatiorm onto which the heaviest loads may be lowered.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare thatwhat we claim is:

- 1. In a floating crnuc the combination of a pontoon rectangular in plan with a rotatable crane frame carrying the jib, a fixed pillar supporting sa d crnnc frame,- said pillill' being" eccentric-ally arranged on the pontoon 111 such a manner that it is equally distant from three of the. edges of said puntoon and a counterweight compensating the weight ofihe crane s'ub'stantinlly as and for the purpose specified. Y i

2. In a flouiing crane the combination or z), pontoon reetang'ular in plan, with a rotatable crane frame, carrying ihe jih, capable of swinging in a vertical plane, afixed pillar supporting snid'crane fraine, said pillar being ecizentricully arranged on the pontoon in such a manner that if is equally distant from three of the edges of said pontoon, a counterweight compensating the weight of the crane and forming a platform substantially as and for the purpose specified.

The foregoing specification signed at Iliisseldorf this 15 first'day of June, 1907. s.-

- ALFRED BODE,

KART) BOTTCI-IER.

In presence of two witnesses- M. ENGuLs,

ALFRED lniimimm: 

